


This Coat Holds My Heart

by erik_lehnsherr



Series: The Fourteenth's Song [8]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 10:24:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10897389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erik_lehnsherr/pseuds/erik_lehnsherr
Summary: Cross has been living an orphan's life for far too long.





	This Coat Holds My Heart

It had started out a normal day for Cross Marian. He woke up, chased down Neah after the younger Campbell stole his gun, beat Neah up, then flirted with Mana some before going to the library to read with Allen. They had been holding this peaceful silence until Neah barged in, “Allen!”

Allen’s head raised, his eyes narrowed, “What?” Cross observed with amusement as Neah’s golden eyes shied away from Allen’s – obviously Neah pissed the elder off somehow. After a few tense seconds, Neah whimpered, “Mana wants to talk to you. Alone.” He threw a pointed stare at Cross, who had a questioning look on his face.

“Fine,” Allen replied, getting up. “Stay here.” He then leaves alongside Neah, and doesn’t return. Cross sits there waiting, reading through books and nonchalantly scraping materials off the walls. He was planning something for the twins’ rapidly approaching sixteenth birthday, and he needed stuff, so he had to improvise. Hopefully nobody will notice until after the gift is given.

This went on for a few hours until Cross groaned, getting up and pocketing the scraps he got. He left the library, and went to look for the other occupants of the estate.

Almost immediately, he happened upon Bookman. The old man was browsing through books abandoned in the bookshelves next to Neah’s piano, and he glanced at Cross when his charge came up, “What can I do for you, Cross?”

Cross shuffled some, his hands in his pockets, “I’m just bored. Neah stole Allen awhile ago and he didn’t say where they were going.” It was embarrassing how boring Cross’ life was without the presence of his brother – Allen has been the only person Cross knew he could rely on for a long time, ever since the police men came to their small home in London and told the boys that they were orphans. Cross had to lie and cheat their way to China, but it was Allen who tried valiantly to do things the legal way and teach his brother everything he had to know to keep himself alive. So, in the long run, Cross credits Allen with getting them to family alive.

The Bookman looked slightly amused as he slipped in, “If I heard correctly, Neah took Allen to Katerina’s room. Mana and Neah have been sheltered in there all morning with their mother.” He then picked up his things, and told Cross, “Try there. Now, if you excuse me, I have an appointment with Cyrus.” The older man consequently left Cross to his own devices.

It only took a few moments for Cross to decide what to do, keeping his hands in his pockets as he ran up the stairs. He paused for a split second to remember which room belonged to the twins’ mother, then the determined boy went to it and knocked with barely restrained tension. There were shushes from inside, something that sounded close to Neah’s giggle, then hushed arguing between voices Cross identified as Mana and Allen.

Finally, Katerina opened the door, nearly blinding Cross with her brilliant smile, “Oh, Cross! What a surprise to see you here!” She walks out, closing the door behind her, obviously preventing Cross from looking inside. Cross wasn’t an idiot, but he decided to let them play their little game for some time longer.

He answered, “Hello Ms. Campbell, is Allen in there?”

Katerina replied, smiling disarmingly, “No, he isn’t, sorry. It’s just me and Mana today.”

“Oh,” Cross answered. “Well Neah kidnapped my brother, and I’m bored, so maybe I can hang out with you guys.” It was almost comedic how quickly Katerina yelled, “No!” After Cross threw her a questioning look, she fixed, “I mean, you can’t. Sorry, dear, but it’s just so dusty in there, and I know you have horrible allergies! Mana uncovered some of his father’s old things, and begged me to help him clean them off. I just wouldn’t want you to get sick!”

It was a good excuse if Cross didn’t already know she was lying – he did avoid dusty areas like the plague, since both Marians were horribly allergic to it and would get sick if they got too much of the stuff around them. Playing along, he replied, “Alright, I’ll go see if I can find Neah and Allen.” He saluted lazily to her, then sauntered off. He heard Katerina let out a breath of relief, then slip back into the room.

For the rest of the day, Cross was outside the house, shooting at the targets Neah set up in the field for him. The centers of the targets were already worn out from Cross hitting them square on, but he still continued using them. His hand went to his father’s gun after he holstered his own, and he drew it, looking at the rusted exterior. Once, he can imagine, this gun was majestic, serving his father through rough days as a cop in London. However, it rusted after his father quit the force, and soon after that, died.

Cross knew there was still some bullets in the chamber, left there by a man who always believed that readiness was the best policy, but they have been trapped in there for years, rust eliminating their ability to be fired. He held the gun up, mocking aiming, then pressing the trigger down, silence ringing in the air. He pushed it down again, hearing the weak click of the gun trying to fire, but still nothing. With a sigh, he dropped his arm and stared at the targets, which now seemed to mock him for his failure to fire the gun.

Pulling out the pocket watch he had bought for himself using some stolen money, Cross noted that almost three hours had passed since he left the Campbells and his brother to their plotting. He casts another look at the targets, then holsters it and returns to the estate. When he opens the door, its suspiciously silent. No servants rushing around, no music coming from the main room, no nothing. Odd.

Cross carefully enters, closing the door slowly so he didn’t make a noise. He then made his way through the still house quietly so he didn’t disturb the air that seemed to stand still around him. The ginger boy peeked into the main room, spotting the piano – nobody there. He inched in, keeping close to the walls like Allen once taught him. Of course, Cross was doubtful there were any enemies hanging around, but one couldn’t be too careful.

He heard whispers eagerly speaking to one another, then one older one silencing the others as Cross approached. Entering the room, Cross stopped immediately when Neah lit one of the lamps and he was greeted with the smiling faces of Katerina, Mana, Allen, and Bookman. Mana was the one to speak up, “Happy birthday, Cross!”

Oh, he had forgotten his own birthday. Cross felt overwhelmed for a moment before the group moved aside for Mana, who had something rolled up in his grasp. It was thick and dark, and Cross could only guess what it was before Mana threw it open – it was a coat. Black and somewhat simple, stitched poorly but still seemed put together enough to not fall apart when unwrapped. A light blush dusted Mana’s face as he explained, “It’s your first birthday here, and I wanted your gift to be special. Unfortunately, none of us are very good at sewing, so we thought to get Allen’s help.”

Big mistake, since _Cross_ was the one who could sew, and not Allen.

“Anyway, we got it made!” He shyly handed it to Cross, and Neah made a comment from the place he was leaning against, “We worked hard on that, Marian. I think I lost a pint of blood from pricking my finger.” All of their hands weren’t in the best of shape, even Bookman’s, which was shocking because one, Cross didn’t understand how the Campbells sweet talked Bookman into helping and two, Cross thought Bookman was good at everything. Meeting their expectant stares with his own eyes,  Cross swung the coat around his shoulders and slipped his arms through. It was too big, but he was already a big guy, so he’d be able to grow into it.

It was shockingly warm, soft leather rubbing against his neck, and the particular smell of burnt wood wafting out. Cross met their stares again, but his eyes watered this time, “I love it.” It’s been so long since he’s truly celebrated his own birthday, life on the streets not allowing such luxuries, and life afterward being spent on the road, Allen’s road to being a Bookman much more important than a celebration of Cross being born. Allen looked at Cross, his own eyes starting to water some as he walked over and hugged Cross tighty, “Happy birthday, Cross.”

That seemed to stir into motion a group hug, Mana catapulting over first to join the brothers, then Katerina, then Neah, who got dragged over by Mana. Cross can’t even remember the last time he felt like this, having a full family. He allowed himself to bask in the moment, tears dripping down his face as he let family new and old surround him with their love.


End file.
